Why this year’s US Open was so awesome
Goodbye to Louis Armstrong Stadium
The main tennis stadium for the US Open until 1996, Louis Armstrong will be demolished and a newer, fancier version will debut in 2018, also with a retractable roof. The last match was the men’s doubles quarterfinals where Feliciano Lopez and Marc Lopez beat the legendary Bryan brothers in the second week of this year’s Open.
However, the stadium provided some epic matches that offer ghosts from the past, including the incredible 1995 women’s final where Graf won her historic 18th grand slam trophy against Monica Seles, who was back in her first grand slam after her horrible stabbing two years prior. She bageled Graf in the second set, but Graf battled back in the third, claiming the championship 7-6 (6), 0-6, 6-3.
Another thrilling match was the epic semifinal clash between Ivan Lendl and Aussie Pat Cash, where Lendl survived match point to make it to the finals, defeating Cash 3-6, 6-3, 6-4, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (4). Amazingly, Lendl played 8 US Open finals in a row, with 3 wins. Still another thriller was the 1980 final between legends John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg, with McEnroe the victor, 7-6 (4), 6-1, 6-7 (5), 5-7, 6-4. In 10 tries at the US Open, Borg never won and was always a bridesmaid there.